Panthers Beat Lions 32-26 in Charlotte, Dropping Detroit to 2-2

Bryce Young opened with 11 straight completions and Tetairoa McMillan caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns as Carolina handed Detroit a Week 4 loss.

The Carolina Panthers defeated the Detroit Lions 32-26 on Sunday Night Football at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. The Week 4 loss dropped Detroit to 2-2 a month into the NFL season.

Penalties continued to stall the Detroit offense. Seven of the team's nine flags went against the offense, one against the defense and one on special teams, which took a penalty deliberately to set up a better punt. The costliest sequence came with just over seven minutes remaining, when a delay of game and a false start on fourth-and-10 left Detroit needing 20 yards to move the chains while trailing by 13. The Lions' hook-and-ladder attempt on that play failed.

Panthers quarterback Bryce Young opened the game with 11 consecutive completions, the longest streak to start a game in his career. He finished with 329 passing yards while completing 70.7 percent of his throws, and he did it without leading receiver Jalen Coker and wideout Xavier Legette. Quick passes and run-pass options repeatedly hurt the Detroit secondary.

Wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan did most of the damage through the air. He caught 14 passes for 192 yards and two touchdowns, the centerpiece of Carolina's passing attack.

The Lions were beaten on the ground as well. Running back Chuba Hubbard rushed for 122 yards and two touchdowns on 6.1 yards per carry, scoring once in the first quarter. It was the fourth-best rushing game of his career, while his 125-yard game against Detroit in 2022 stands as his third-best.

Detroit's offense leaned almost entirely on the pass, attempting 52 throws against 15 runs. That imbalance came despite Carolina entering the game ranked last in the league in rushing yards allowed and yards per carry allowed and tied for the most rushing touchdowns surrendered. The Panthers were also without both starting cornerbacks. Jared Goff threw for more than 400 yards in the loss, while running back Jahmyr Gibbs was largely bypassed as Detroit chased the game after falling behind by double digits in the second half.

Tight ends were the one group Detroit slowed, after struggling against the position over the season's first month. Tommy Tremble caught four passes for 12 yards, Darren Waller added three for 36 and third-stringer Mitchell Evans caught one for 8.

The Lions face the Arizona Cardinals next week, a matchup that brings tight end Trey McBride and a similar test at a position Detroit finally contained, before their bye week.

Roster decisions loom ahead of the Nov. 10 trade deadline, with the secondary still awaiting the return of safety Brian Branch. Defensive coordinator Kelvin Sheppard's group has now been beaten through the air and on the ground in the same game.